Miami Teachers’ Union Sues Former Executives Over Finances

The Miami-Dade County teachers’ union has filed suit against two of its former finance executives for breach of professional duties, contending that their actions contributed to the financial crisis that brought the union to its knees in 2003.

The executives, Chief Financial Officer James Angleton Jr. and in-house financial consultant David Albaum, last year cooperated with federal investigators and incriminated longtime union chief Pat L. Tornillo Jr. in the theft of union dues. Mr. Tornillo was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, while the 30,000-member United Teachers of Dade has struggled to put the debts accumulated over the last years of Mr. Tornillo’s tenure behind it.

The suit, filed in Dade County circuit court, maintains that Mr. Angleton’s and Mr. Albaum’s “mismanagement and opportunism pushed UTD to the brink of insolvency.” It seeks restitution of $200,000 to $300,000. Neither man could be reached for comment.